


Cassandra’s Journey

by Spamateur, The_power_of_alchemy



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Collaboration, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:56:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23217373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spamateur/pseuds/Spamateur, https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_power_of_alchemy/pseuds/The_power_of_alchemy
Summary: Cassandra leaves Corona to start a new life for herself. What-- and who-- she finds is going to change her life forever.
Relationships: Cassandra/OC, Cassandra/Original Character
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	1. The Baltic Ritual

**Author's Note:**

> This is a collaborative work with @Bedlamateur!  
> We came up with an OC and decided to write her in a fic.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by @Bedlamateur .

Cassandra did not have an end destination in mind as she set out on her journey. She only knew that she needed to go _somewhere_ , somewhere further from Corona and closer to her destiny. 

For whatever reason, that destiny seemed to draw Cassandra further north, to a large port city called Sedis. It was full of small, close-knit communities. No one gave Cassandra a second glance as she passed-- the town was used to travellers, apparently. They were fishermen, sailors, basic tradesmen and merchants.

Definitely not where Cassandra was meant to be.

So she travelled further north, to the edge of the city where it met the sea. Cassandra looked out on the oscillating waves. On the horizon, a tiny boat approached, its outline emphasized by the setting sun. It was getting late enough that high above, the stars’ light began to shine more brightly, and they were all pointing Cassandra to that boat.

She stopped the closest guy that looked like he knew the first thing about sea travel and asked, “When’s that boat getting here?”

“Boat?” the sailor scoffed. “That there’s the Great Siren. Best damn ship to ever sail this Baltic Sea or otherwise. It’ll be here before midnight, no doubt, and then it makes its next round up to Karlskrona. For a few vereinsthalers, the captain will let travellers board.”

“The Great Siren?” Cassandra repeated. “It’s tiny.”

“Aye, against the horizon, that it is, but the horizon’s a great way off. Up close, it’s taller than the tallest castle I’e’er seen.”

Cassandra watched the ship thoughtfully. She had a satchel of coins; she could certainly afford to cross the sea. She’d gone north so far, it didn’t seem right to change directions now.

She’d be taking that ship.

An hour or so before midnight, the ship docked. The sailor was right. Cassandra had to fully crane her head to see the top, where a large brass mermaid took her chances against the wind. 

The captain of the ship was a tall, curly-haired man with striking eyes and a quick tongue. Upon Cassandra inquiring how much he charged to let her hitch a ride, he replied, “Runnin' from somethin', ye? naw, not from. ter. well, gran' luk ter yer, lassy, but oi doubt you'll nade it. yer can 'andle yerself, aye? only, if ever yer pray, pray dat de lord makes yisser enemies fools, an' 'e'll well grant it, jist as yer man 'as for me. 'a! but don't tell dem dat. 'tis fierce ter be roi wha established tren are wrong. illusion is de first av al' pleasures, oi say. an' if any av de sailors bite their thumb at yer, jist let me nu, an' i'll scuff dem. they're jist boys, they tink they're somethin'.”

“That’s great,” Cassandra interrupted impatiently but with as much politeness as she could muster. “So how much?”

“Eh? Er, foive gauld coins av whatever kingdom yer 'ail from, oi don’t much mind wha. me profit’s aff av de stock we brin' along, clap, not so much de 'itchhikers.” He winked like he and Cassandra were having a joke, instead of a one-sided conversation.

“Rrrright.” Cassandra offered the man five coins and boarded the ship with her owl on her shoulder before he could start another rant. 

“Er, lass, just so as y’know, we ride at midnight!”

That was fine with Cassandra. At midnight, her journey continued.

In the time inbetween, multiple other passengers boarded. Cassandra watched them from atop the wooden barrel on which she sat. Occasionally a sailor would come up look as if to suggest something sultry, but Cassandra would shoot him (or her, in one case) a look and reach for her sword by her side. They usually left.

Most of the boarders that weren’t workers were merchants, looking to travel to Karlskrona to sell their wares. There were four unique passengers, however, who caught Cassandra’s eye.

Two were strangely well-dressed men, looking like they’d come from the highest order of French society-- or in other words, looking terribly and entirely out of place. They cast disgusted looks at the sailors around them, especially when two rowdy young men approached and asked something Cassandra couldn’t hear, but based on the offended gasp one of the men gave, it was nothing good or entirely polite. 

Another was a young man, maybe twenty, with a long brown cloak and black hair. He said not a word to any sailors who bothered him, nor spared anything more than a glance at Cassandra. He seemed like he was hiding from something, but before Cassandra could speculate as to what, the fourth passenger unique passenger caught her eye.

She was a tall, pretty woman, but what Cassandra was most focused on was her cape. It danced gently in the sea’s wind, and with every movement, little stars sewn into it glistened in the moonlight. 

Predictably, a particularly scandalous sailor approached the woman and started engaging in animated conversation. The woman, unlike the other passengers, talked back. They were out of earshot, but Cassandra could tell that the sailor wasn’t too happy at what the lady said. He raised his fist threateningly, but the woman didn’t seem concerned. Instead, she raised a brow.

Thoroughly called out on his bluff, the sailor instead bit his thumb at her. 

At the end of the movement, the caped woman’s hand shot out like lightning and grasped the sailor’s hand. Instinctively, Cassandra strode across the ship to assist in the clearly rising skirmish.

But the woman turned the sailor in one fluid motion and pushed his chest over the edge of the ship. 

“Fancy a dip?” she asked smoothly, while the sailor flailed desperately.

“No! Please!” the sailor cried. “Let me go!”

“Say uncle.”

“Uncle! Uncle!!!”

The woman let the sailor go, and he clambered away to where his friends stood with gaping mouths. 

“Your mothers would be ashamed,” she chided. The boys nodded guiltily.

“You handled that quickly,” Cassandra commented.

The woman seemed to notice Cass for the first time. “They’re just boys having fun,” she shrugged. “I’m Aerin. And you are?”

“Cassandra,” Cass answered, reaching out to shake Aerin’s hand. “I hail from Corona.”

“Oh, Corona! I’ve heard--”

“Setting sail, all!” the friendly captain announced. “It’s a clear noight, so i’d be expectin' smooth sailin', not dat de gran' ol’ siren as any other kind!” He chortled. 

With a few short orders barked at the men, the ship started its voyage.

Almost immediately, Cassandra’s owl peeped uncomfortable and shifted on its taloned feet. Cassandra gave her owl the smallest of nods, and the owl set off into the sky. How it got seasick but not skysick, Cassandra didn’t know.

It parted the waves, and the never-changing stars watched expectantly from above. 

“So why are you headed to Karlskrona?” Aerin asked after a moment had passed. Cassandra looked down from the stars at her fellow traveller, who was gazing at the stars through a small circle of glass. 

“Oh, I’m just travelling,” Cassandra answered. Aerin hummed her acknowledgement, but she seemed preoccupied.

“There, see? Shooting stars, just as I predicted.”

Cassandra looked back up and, sure enough, several stars lit up the sky as they fell to their death.

“Wow,” Cassandra breathed, despite herself. “That’s beautiful.”

“Beautiful, yes,” Aerin agreed. She looked down from the sky. “But dangerous. Magically speaking, a meteor shower in spring is the only night the Baltic Ritual can be completed.”

“Baltic Ritual?” Cassandra repeated, tensing. “And what does that _entail_?”

“Well, for a start, the end of sea travel on the Baltic sea. If the ritual were completed, legend has it that Poseiden’s wife will arise from the sea and destroy all life-- whales, fish and men alike. The only upside is that whoever summons her receives all the gold of Olympus.” 

“Is the legend true?”

“To an extent, yes. I do believe there is a heavy death toll as a result, and some female spirit ravages the sea, but I’m not so sure about the whole _godly_ aspect of it all. Seems more the Mediterranean’s forte, don’t you agree?”

“How do we know if the ritual has begun?” Cassandra asked urgently.

Aerin thought for a second. “Well, at the beginning, a storm is supposed to arise with its heart above whoever is starting the ritual. What follows the storm, is… unpleasant.”

Thunder struck.

Just as Cassandra’s owl landed back on her shoulder with an uncertain _hoo?_ Buckets of bullets of rain emptied on the ship. Cassandra unsheathed her sword as the sailors frantically ran about to complete tasks at the Captain’s orders. The passengers made their way to the basement of the ship-- except for the two aristocrats, who instead clung to each other with frightened wails. 

Among the crowds, the young man in the brown cloak was nowhere to be found.

“What follows the storm?” Cassandra asked, shouting to be heard over the thunder and rain.

Aerin, adjusting her satchel, unsheathed a… stick. A stick? She shook the stick and it immediately unfolded into… a longer stick. Cassandra stared.

“Well, just about now would come the waves!” Aerin answered, her hair and cape whipping about in the wind. “Oh, look. There’s one now.”

Cassandra looked off the side of the ship and found herself craning her neck higher and higher to find the top of the oncoming wave. “Oh, sh--”

Water crashed down on the ship, and up was down, and left was-- well, it was still left. Funnily enough, that sort of thing isn’t affected by gravity. Cassandra inhaled on refex, and immediately pain flared through her nose and throat as ice-cold water came where air should have gone.

When the freezing water retreated, Cassandra had a moment to register that her owl was gone before a warm hand was helping her up onto the ship. Cassandra hadn’t even realized the wave had nearly pushed her off. She coughed harshly to the point where if her throat was bleeding she wouldn’t have been surprised. 

“We need to get below deck!” Aerin shouted above the roar of the thunder, rain, and now enormous waves. The boat was teetering side to side like a bobbing apple. There was enough water on the boat that Cassandra’s boots were still soaked. A metal object rolled up to Cassandra’s feet, and as the boat tilted, it rolled back the way it came. Cassandra watched it go and land at the feet of another person: the man in the coat. He picked it up and whisked away beyond Cassandra’s sight, behind a curtain of mist and water brought on by the storm.

“Him!” Cassandra tried to shout, but it came out as a mangled cough instead. She pointed again, and Aerin followed Cassandra’s gaze into the mist. 

Cassandra pulled Aerin closer in the direction that the man had gone, but another, smaller but still huge wave hit the huge ship, sending the two crashing into the wooden ground. Cassandra was careful not to breathe this time until she was sure that the wave had ended. She was aided by the fact that the wind was thoroughly knocked out of her.

Still, she got to her feet and pulled Aerin to hers, and resumed trying to cross the ship. A flash of lightning ahead illuminated the shadow of her owl struggling through the rain. Cassandra went in that direction.

Aerin nudged Cassandra’s shoulder since voices could no longer be heard over the roaring storm. She pulled Cassandra closer to her, and then, all was quiet.

 _‘Hoo,’_ Cassandra’s owl scorned.

At the center of the calm, which was no more than four feet across at any point, was the young man in the brown coat.

At the owl’s noise, the man looked up, and immediately said,

“Ah!”

“Stop the ritual,” Cassandra demanded hoarsely, pointing her sword at him.

“Yeah, uh, no thank you!” He reached out a hand, muttered, “ _Igne_ ,” and Cassandra was pushed back by a fiery force into the rain again--

Aerin’s hand pulled her back into the circle of calm before Cassandra could go too far, just as another wave crashed and died against the magical barrier the young man had set up. His hand was aflame and he looked at Cassandra and Aerin with a panicked look.

Aerin pointed her staff at the boy. “The ritual ends if you leave the circle, yes?”

“Ye--” he blinked. “Hey! N-no! It does not! In fact, it ends if I stay!” 

“Rrright.” She brandished her staff threateningly. “I don’t want to hit you with this, but I will if you don’t step out right now.”

He looked at the staff doubtfully. 

“It has an iron core,” Aerin supplied helpfully. “It will be a painful experience.”

“Well, I’m not stopping!” the boy shot back. He whispered an incantation, and his hands lit aflame.

A roar shook the air, sending a shiver down Cassandra’s spine and ruffling the owl’s feathers. 

“Part two,” Aerin said. “Poseidon’s wife is awakening. Things are going to get worse.”

The boy reached out and shot a ball of fire toward Aerin and Cassandra.

Aerin and Cassandra were currently drenched. His ball of fire dried them with a satisfying _tsssss_. 

“Oh! Thank you!” Aerin said cheerfully. She then knocked him over the head with her staff.

The boy dodged her attack and fell flat on his butt. “No!” he shouted. “You are _not_ going to stop me! _Igne_!” 

That same fiery force, more powerful than a ball of fire, pushed Cassandra _and_ Aerin into the rain. They were drenched again and Cassandra would have groaned if not for the fact that to do so would cause a certain amount of pain. 

Another roar sounded, so powerful that it blew the water until it was raining horizontally. 

Another wave hit the ship, this time to their advantage, as the resulting severe tilt of the ship forced the pair downward until they fell into the circle of calm again.

“Oh, come on!” the sorcerer griped. 

Cassandra looked up at him. He looked down at her. She twisted on the ground, pushed one leg inbetween his feet, and _twisted._

There was a _thud_ as the young man fell on his chin. “ _OwIthinkIbitmylip_ \--”

Cassandra was on her feet and pointing her sword at his throat before he could utter another word. Her owl gave a triumphant hoot.

The man raised a flaming hand, and Cassandra pressed the point of the blade into his throat-- not enough to break skin, only enough that he felt the edge and got the meaning.

He whimpered and scrambled backward, further away from the sword.

“What’s your name?” Aerin asked.

“Emrys,” the young man answered unsteadily.

“Emrys was a mighty sorcerer who lived thousands of years ago. You’re an amateur. Who _are_ you?”

He gulped. Cassandra pushed the sword downward and he scrambled further backward toward the edge of the circle of calm, his hair now subject to the raging storm.

“George!” he relented. “My name’s George, my name is George, oh, god, please don’t kill me, I didn’t mean any harm--”

“Didn’t mean any harm?” Aerin repeated incredulously. “You know this spell is supposed to kill the entire sea, right?”

“The entire…? No!” he protested. “It’s just supposed to make me rich!”

Cassandra sighed. Not an all-powerful sorcerer. Just an idiot with some fire-related tricks up his sleeve. She lowered her sword. “Get up,” she coughed.

Grateful for the opportunity, George scrambled to his feet with his still-flaming hands held up. His lower lip trembled. “Please don’t kill me, I didn’t know--”

She raised her sword and with a yelp, he stepped backwards…

Right into the storm, as another raged roar broke out through the air, and promptly died.

The waves ceased, the thunder stopped, and the rain eased slowly.

George cowered by the steering wheel where the Captain had his hand gripped around the boy’s collar.

“I’ve’eard de legend av de Baltic Ritual!” the Captain proclaimed with an amused chuckle that one would not expect after the chaos that had just took place. “Never tart anyone wud be dumb enoof ter try it! don’t worry, weemen, i’ll take care av de fella. maybe 'e’d make a gran' sailor! oi cud use an extra fella ter scrub de decks, aye? Ho ho ho ho!”

“Good man, Captain!” Aerin called.

“Gran' indeed! a gran' captain, a gran' paddy, a gran' bargainer, but i’m afraid i’m not master navigator! i’m afraid we’re bloody lost, aye? not sure we’re even in de baltic after dat stunt.” He cuffed George over the ear for good measure.

“No worries, Captain,” Aerin told him. “We might change, but the skies do not. I know how to find the way to Karlskrona.”

Cassandra watched Aerin show the Captain how to find Karlskrona using the stars with unrestrained curiosity. As Aerin gestured toward the sky, Cassandra noticed a single, final shooting star crossing the cosmos of a once-again clear night sky.

That small but nearly fatal skirmish had Cassandra feeling more like herself than ever. The thrill, the adventure-- she gave a painful cough-- and the unfortunate side effects alongside. She had a feeling she was going the right way after all. 

Some time later, Aerin came back to Cassandra’s side, and offered a friendly pat to Cassandra’s owl, who took it with a grateful _hoot_. She then offered Cassandra a small potion-shaped bottle and gestured to drink. Cassandra did so and immediately felt her throat soothed. Honey. Who carried around bottles of honey? People like Aerin, apparently.

“So, you never told me why you’re travelling to Karlskrona,” Cassandra said to Aerin, unprompted.

Aerin admired the sky before answering with the smallest of smiles, “Oh, I’m just travelling.”

“Alone?”

“That depends on you.”

Cassandra blinked. That was it. It was the adventure and the _people._ The facing trials with someone by your side, overcoming bad guys, the only constant each other’s companionship. That was what reminded her of home, but of the best parts of home, and made her feel like herself. That was what, she felt, her journey needed.

“Would you like to go with me?” Cassandra asked, more hopefully than she intended.

Aerin smiled at Cass warmly. “Cassandra of Corona, I would love to.”

In the reflection of Aerin’s eyes, Cassandra saw strokes of colored light. It took her a second to realize its source, and she looked toward the sky. 

“Wow,” Cassandra breathed, despite herself. “Aurora borealis. That’s beautiful.”

“Beautiful, yes,” Aerin agreed,

“Absolutely breathtaking.”


	2. The Bubbling Fish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter written by ValCurry
> 
> Enjoy!

Cassandra couldn’t explain it, but she felt like meeting Aerin wasn’t just coincidence. She felt it was somewhat….fate? She had no clue, but she knew going with Aerin on her journey was the right choice. Maybe this was her destiny. Maybe  _ she  _ was her destiny. 

“So...where are we going?” Cass asked as they walked off the boat and onto the docks. 

“For now...food. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.” She said, staring into Cassandra’s eyes. 

Cass didn’t realize how hungry she had been until now. Battling a wannabe sorcerer really did work up an appetite. 

“Food, yes. That sounds amazing.” Cass sighed, bringing her hand up to her grumbling stomach. 

“Well then,” Aerin said, rubbing her hands together, “You ever been to Karlskrona before?”

“Can’t say I have. Until recently, I never really left Corona. Then I left with Raps to find out more about the rocks and…” Cass caught herself rambling. “Nevermind. Long story.”

“I’d love to hear about it someday.” Aerin appealed. “For now, let’s just find us somewhere to eat, yeah?”

Cass nodded. “Sounds like a plan!”

“Now,  _ I _ actually  _ have  _ been here before. Once. When I was a teenager. But! I remember going to this bar, and  _ oh my gods _ it was amazing. If I remember correctly it should be….yes! Here it is!” Aerin exclaimed as they turned the corner to a rather small, run down building called  _ The Bubbling Fish. _ Sounded nice enough.

-

The Bubbling Fish was not nice. 

Upon entering, Cass immediately noticed the heavy scent of alcohol, and she could hardly see past the group of gigantic men and women alike, staring them down as they entered. Aerin guided Cass to the bar, where they ordered their food. Cass got pepper pot soup and Aerin ordered potato salad and cornbread. 

Cass wasn’t intimidated by any of these people, she had faced much worse. But to say she wasn’t uncomfortable would be a lie. 

Aerin excused herself to the bathroom to wash up, leaving Cass alone. She sipped on her drink and awaited her new companion to return, when a large man sat next to her.

“Hey there, pretty lady. Can I buy you a drink?” He gruffed.

“If you could see, I’ve already got one.” Cass returned, gesturing to her drink in front of her. 

“I know a code to get a secret drink, one that will change your life.” He pushed, leaning in closer to Cass. She was repulsed by the smell of alcohol on his breath. She was trying not to lose her cool. She could easily take this guy out, but she didn’t want to start a scene in the middle of a bar. 

“Wait a minute. You’re that Coronan girl. The one that stole the moonstone and almost destroyed Corona.” He realized.

“I heard she  _ did  _ destroy Corona.” Another man said.

“And tried to kill the royal family.”

“Worked with the demon Zhan Tiri.”

“Dangerous.”

“Untrustworthy.”

“ _ Monster _ .”

“Get her out of here!” 

Cass wanted to shrink and hide. She was normally such a stoic person, these comments shouldn’t hurt her. But they did. She  _ was  _ a monster. And a fool for thinking she could outrun her past.

Aerin came back from the bathroom and saw what was happening. 

“Hey! What’s going on?” She yelled, pushing past the group to get to Cass.

“She needs to leave! We don’t want her here!” A woman shouted.

“Why? What did she do?” Aerin demanded.

“It doesn’t matter.” Cass said, voice small. “Let’s just go.”

Aerin’s expression softened. “O-okay then.”

They left the bar and entered the empty street. They sat down on a nearby bench, and Cass gave Aerin an apologetic look.

“I’m so sorry about that. I should’ve known that would happen.” Cass sighed. “I guess I owe you an explanation.”

“You don’t have to, Cass. I trust you, you don’t need to-” 

“No, I do. I  _ want  _ to.” Cass explained. 

“Okay. I’m listening.” Aerin said simply.

Cass told her everything. What she saw in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow, taking the moonstone, being played by an ancient demon...and how she almost killed the entire population of Corona. It was excruciating to retell, and it took Cass a while to finish. 

“Wow.” Is all Aerin said.

“Yeah, I know. I was stupid, and scared, and angry. I understand if you don’t want me as a companion anymore.”

“No! Cass, I must admit, these new discoveries are not what I was expecting, but it seems to me that you’ve left all that behind. And it looks like you’ve punished yourself enough. I would love to have you accompany me on my travels. You’re the most interesting person I’ve met in a long time.” She chuckled.

Cass stayed silent, staring into Aerins eyes with disbelief. She still wanted her. Even after everything she’s told her. She suddenly felt emotional, and tears started forming in her eyes. She looked away, biting her lip. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Aerin asked quietly, reaching her hand out to Cass. 

“I-I’m fine. Don’t worry.” Cass lied.

Aerin reached out and took Cass’s chin, gently pulling Cass to face her. Tears filled her green eyes.

Aerin pulled Cass close to her, embracing her. She placed her chin on Cass’s head and stroked her hair gently, saying nothing.

Cass didn’t fight the comfort. She accepted it, embraced it.  _ Wanted  _ it.

For the first time in a long time, Cass felt safe. She felt home. And she knew that she was where she was meant to be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are welcomed and appreciated! <3


	3. A Witch's Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, @bedlamateur here. Sorry this one took so long, I have been plagued by both writer's block and the worst migraines ever.

  
  


Cassandra and Aerin were all too happy to move on Karlskrona. They didn’t have an end destination, but that was okay; they were  _ travellers, _ after all. 

In truth, Cassandra was looking for something-- and so too, she suspected, did Aerin. Cassandra wanted to find a place where she belonged, and now, that place was by Aerin’s side. As for Aerin…

“What do you want?” Cassandra asked her companion as the two of them walked down the road. It was a simple dirt path carved through the woods, wide enough to fit a single small horse-led carriage. With just the two of them, it was enough space to walk side by side. Cassandra winced. That had come out a lot differently than she had wanted it to.

Nevertheless, Aerin seemed to hear Cassandra’s real question. 

“I’m trying to find a place where I can really explore the stars,” she answered, casting a thoughtful gaze to the afternoon sky. “When you’re an astronomer like me, you tend to move around a lot, chasing shooting stars and eclipses. I’ve never had a place where I can settle and study the planets and stars more deeply.” She laughed. “I guess I’m just growing up. No more running around the continent to see what’s next. I want to find somewhere I can relax and use better technology to really  _ get out there, _ metaphorically speaking. There’s so much in the universe, Cass. I want to see what Mercury looks like, all the way out there, on its surface. I wanna see what distant solar systems look like from here. Seeing stuff like that requires better tech than the portable tools I’ve always carried around. And… I want to stay somewhere long enough to make friends, or other things,” Aerin admitted, glancing Cassandra’s way.

Before Cassandra could ask what Aerin meant by that, an ear-splitting wail cut through the air. The birds and bugs went silent. Cassandra unsheathed her sword and Aerin unfolded her staff.

“It came from that direction,” Aerin whispered, pointing to the right of the path with her staff. Together, the two of them padded carefully into the sparse evergreen forest.

They came upon a depression in the woods, at the bottom of which was a bundle in a basket. Another wail sounded from it, followed by quieter sniffles and a sneeze.

Cassandra blinked. “It’s a… a baby?”

“Not quite, dearie.”

There was just enough time for Cassandra and Aerin to turn around and see a tall old woman before everything went black.

Cassandra woke up feeling a strange-combination of well-rested and in pain. She spent a few drowsy seconds trying to figure out which she felt more when she realised she was in a dark spruce-wood room, and she was fairly certain she hadn’t been when she’d fallen asleep.

Cassandra sat up and immediately regretted it as a throbbing pain on the back of her head flared up. She brought up a hand to rub at it as she struggled to remember what had happened. There was a crying bundle… and then an old lady with a bat. Cassandra winced. The old lady knocked her out with a bat, didn’t she? Rude.

Wait.  _ Aerin. _ Cassandra looked around frantically, and was just as soon relieved to find Aerin unconscious in a cage besides Cassandra’s own.

The short moment of relief quickly disappeared then as Cassandra investigated her surroundings.

The wood cabin she was in was cozy and warm, complete with a pretty rug in the center and several encouraging quotes on the walls. If that wasn’t horrifying enough, there were three large, rusted iron cages on one side of the cabin. Cassandra was in one, Aerin in the other to Cassandra’s left, and an unknown woman in the other one to Cassandra’s right. 

The woman was awake, and watching Cassandra with calculating brown eyes. Her right eye was lined with black paint in the shape of a plus sign. Cassandra reached for her sword, only to find that it was no longer on her. She cursed quietly. 

“Do you know her?” the young woman asked.

Cassandra narrowed her eyes. “Know who?”

“The  _ witch. _ ”

Ah. That explained the old woman, then. She was a sorcerer.

“I think she wants to use our souls for… for her exitium hostibus spell,” the young woman continued. “I’ve only heard of it, but it’s powerful enough to destroy an entire town--”

“Woah, woah woah,” Cassandra said. She had just woken up in a cabin and was now being told that her soul and a whole city were at stake. Things were going a bit fast, even for her taste. “Who are you and how do you know this?”

“I am Kappi, a warrior of Lunaveldi, the Empire of the Stars. I was travelling the roads when she lured me in with a crying baby. She attacked me and brought me here, as she did to you.” 

“Do you know how to stop her?”

Kappi paused to think. “I can perform limited magic, and I have heard of a counter spell… but all I’ve ever heard are legends, so even if I were to perform it, I do not know if it would work. And it would be… dangerous.”

“It doesn’t seem like we’ve got many other options,” Cassandra pointed out. “Aerin, what do you--” she stopped. Aerin was still unconscious, and her breathing had become very shallow.

“Is she your companion?” Kappi asked. “I am sorry, but the witch has already begun the process on her.”

“ _ What _ ?” Cassandra’s mind was reeling, but she forced herself to get a grip. She was no use to Aerin breaking down. She turned to Kappi, expression grim. “What is the counterspell?” she demanded.

Kappi began explaining it: It would require two people, and the witch had to be performing her incantation during it. Kappi would say the spell, but it would borrow its energy from Cassandra. “Would you be willing to do that?” Kappi asked.

There wasn’t a choice. Cassandra nodded dutifully.

“Then you should prepare yourself--” Kappi broke off, looking toward the door like prey on the alert. “She’s here.”

The witch opened the cabin and stepped in, and Cassandra got a good look at her for the first time.

She was tall, with thinning black hair. She looked painfully skinny where her tan robes didn’t cover her body, and her hands were tinged yellow, getting yellower toward her fingerprints. She looked positively  _ sallow _ .

And she was walking up toward Cassandra with purpose.

Cassandra tried to speak, but the witch murmured, “Umbra.” Very quickly Cassandra found it hard to say anything at all. 

“Now dearie, this won’t take a minute,” the witch promised, in a voice that sounded far too young and lively for her body. “All you have to do is rest.”

Cassandra tried to object, but she felt weak. She looked toward Kappi with wide eyes, and Kappi nodded.  _ Get ready, _ she was indicating. If Cassandra was able to talk, she’d probably say back,  _ What am I supposed to do, take some orange juice!? Just get on with it! _

But they had to wait as the witch, who was now humming an eerie melody, started her spell. 

Pale, yellow-brown tendrils of light branched out from the witch’s fingertips. She giggled and, in a sing-song voice, confided, “I’ve been stuck in this cabin for two hundred years, I have, wouldn’t you know? Some old hoot locked me up when I tried this same thing a couple of centuries ago. Well, I’ve always said that the Thowlockes are more trouble than they’re worth, bless their souls, and I suppose they held a grudge!” As she spoke, her magic reached through the rusty cell bars and toward Cassandra. Cassandra held her breath as her energy drained. “Well! No reason to lock up a poor old woman, is it? Tsk tsk. So, now I’ve got to destroy Karlskrona and the Thowlockes in it! Well, hoping that they’ve stayed in Karlskrona all this time, but they always were so stationary. What do you think, dear?”

The witch paused, looking expectantly at Cassandra. Cassandra stared back.

“Oh.  _ Antinumbra _ .”

Cassandra took a deep breath, finding herself able to speak again. She chose to use her returned ability wisely: “You’re senile, you b-”

The witch gave an indignant huff. “ _ Umbra _ .” Cassandra was shut up immediately. “Kids these days!”

She might have talked more to Cassandra, but now the witch seemed more inclined to whack Cassandra’s wrist with a ruler than make small talk. She shook her head as if to say,  _ It’s all gone to rot under these soft leaders. Children aren’t quite raised the way they were used to. _

Cassandra gave Kappi a look, but Kappi wasn’t watching anymore. Her eyes were glowing red and she was faintly whispering something under her breath. Subsequently, a red mist fell around her feet and floated toward Cassandra. The old crone didn’t seem to notice, and Cassandra wondered in her numb mind if the witch could see anything at all. Two hundred years trapped in a dusty old cabin with vanilla-scented candles constantly burning couldn’t be good for her eyes.

“ _ Neco mei ignis capillum inimicus,” _ the witch intoned. She repeated the incantation.

Cassandra was finding it hard to breathe already, but when Kappi’s magic reached her too, she felt her lungs stop completely. She tried to cough, but even that was impossible.

The old woman flung a hand toward Kappi. “I  _ knew  _ you were a troublemaker, you rascal of a young woman!  _ Puellae interficere arreste… _ ”

“Stop her!” Kappi rasped, struggling to continue her own quiet incantations.

The edges of Cassandra’s vision were going a muddy red, but she reached through the bars to clutch the witch’s wrist and pull it away from Kappi, just in time. A bolt of sulfurous magic spurted from the witch’s palm and hit the fireplace, which promptly collapsed.

Kappi discarded any efforts at being subtle and urgently spoke: “ _ Snúa töfrunum við, drepa norn, snúa töfrunum við, drepa norn, snúa töfrunum við, drepa norn… _ ”

“You are  _ butchering _ the pronunciation!” The witch screeched indignantly. “It’s drepa  _ ‘ _ nern,’ not ‘norrrn, you sound like you’re snoring, for goodness’ sake.”

Kappi paused, gave the woman a weird look, and resumed incanting with the modified pronunciation. Immediately the witch let loose a frightened squeal and shot back, “ _ Tace! Tace, tace, tace!” _

In the midst of this, Cassandra had collapsed to the floor. The witch’s spell was pulling at her soul, and Kappi’s was borrowing from her body. It added together to leave Cassandra feeling like everything would be a lot easier to handle if she just nodded off for a quick nap…

She looked up at Aerin’s barely-breathing body. _Aerin…_ Okay, Cassandra told herself, we have to stay awake. _We will. Stay. Awake--_ _is that_ fire _?_

Sure enough, bright flames had spread from the ruined fireplace throughout the cabin. 

Cassandra tried to back away from the nearing flames, but it was so hard to  _ move _ . Had she gained weight? It was so hard to raise her limbs…

Kappi and the witch didn’t seem to notice the fire. They were too busy shooting spells back at each other haltingly, and then continuing with their main incantations, all the while stealing their energy from Cassandra.

Cassandra tried to think, but even that ability was being drained from her. The witch was speaking in latin, a language which Cassandra knew a few words of. She tried to think. Nos was we, vos was you. A meant away, ignis was fire, ad was toward, ire meant to go… She couldn’t remember anything else. None of what she knew was  _ useful, _ though… 

Well. You do what you can with what you’ve got.

Cassandra had never done magic before, but she was watching a tutorial through her lidded eyes. She reached out a hand with much effort, pointed it toward the fire, and tried to speak. “Ig…”

She collapsed from the effort it took. Oh, god, if she could just  _ sleep… _ But Aerin needed her.

Cassandra reached out again, and this time poured all her energy into her words: “Ign... _ is. A. Ego…” _

“My dear,” the witch paused, noticing Cassandra, “I can’t imagine what you think you’re doing. That pronunciation-- and the verb-conjugation-- simply horrible--”

“ _ Ire…” _

__ “And the movement! You’ve really got to  _ stretch _ those fingers, dear, but your heart, soul and essence into it! Really, how are they teaching kids magic these days? No matter, you’ll all be dead soon anyway…”

_ “Vos,”  _ Cassandra finished.

The fire died...

“Well, that was useless,” the witch decided. “Good try, though dear--” 

And then  _ roared _ as it soared upward in rebirth. There was a terrible, horrible  _ screaming. _ Kappi cried out in surprise, but the fire wasn’t headed for her, it was engulfing the witch. After a moment of stunned pause, Kappi quickly finished her incantations through the witch’s screeching.

Cassandra let herself sleep.

-{+}-

“-re are you from, Kappi?”

“I have come from the northern kingdom Lunaveldi. I think you would fit in well there. We pride ourselves on our technology for the maths and sciences. Our ability to study the stars and planets is impressive. It’s not my area of expertise, but my mother is a lead astronomist. She would welcome you gladly. And as for your friend... “ 

Cassandra was on the cusp of consciousness, the kind of sleep where you can feel the real world mentally, but your body isn’t quite ready to let you go. She could vaguely understand the conversation going on between Aerin and Kappi, but if she fell back asleep, it would become a forgotten dream. 

“Lunaveldi has a strong warrior army. Our women are the bravest and strongest I’ve ever seen. She would be welcomed. She has a fighter’s spirit, I can tell.”

Aerin hummed her agreement. “She really does.”

“I need to return to my home.” There was a rustling of clothes as Kappi stood up to leave. Cassandra shifted. She was just waking up. Kappi smiled brightly at the two. “I hope to see you all again someday,” she said with a nod, and then she disappeared into the forest.

Cassandra scowled at the bright moon above. It had no business being that full, being that loud, and being that-- that  _ glowy. _ She was all too grateful when the moonlight was replaced by Aerin’s gentle smile.

“Aerin,” Cassandra murmured happily. She’d been worried. Why had she been worried? “OH.” Cassandra sat up and looked around sharply. They were no longer at the cabin, but the cabin stood a pile of ash and cinders a few meters away. 

“Apparently you pulled quite a stunt,” Aerin told her. “The witch is gone now. We should rest, but I don’t quite feel like going back to Karlskrona and we’ve got a long way to travel.”

Cassandra looked away from the ash and into Aerin’s warm eyes. “Are we going somewhere?”

“Not for certain,” Aerin answered, “but I was thinking yes.”

“Where?” Cassandra asked, but she already suspected the answer-- or at least, what she hoped the answer would be. 

“Kappi was just telling me about it, but I can’t remember the name. Did she tell you? Would you want to go?”

Cassandra smirked. That was just what she was hoping Aerin would say. “Yeah,” she replied. “Lunaveldi. The Empire of Stars. I would love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by @bedlamateur .


	4. A Bird’s Perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter was really hard, but also really fun to write. Enjoy!
> 
> -@ValCurry

Cassandra’s eyes fluttered open to the sound of birds chirping and the sun shining through the trees. She glanced to where Aerin was still sleeping soundly and smiled. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep.

They had slept in longer than Cass would’ve liked, but she didn’t really mind all that much. Yesterday’s events were...draining, to say the least, and they both probably needed the rest. 

Kappi had left them with only a few instructions on how to get to Lunaveldi, one being that they needed to get some sort of key in order to be let in. She told them to go to a town called Reika, where they would use a riddle to find the key. 

Cass snapped out of her thoughts and walked over to Aerin and knelt down, gently nudging her awake. 

“Hey, sleepyhead. We both slept in, we probably need to get going.”

Aerin groaned in reply, mumbling a quiet, “Five more minutes?”

Cass chucked as she stood up. “Fine. Five more minutes. But that’s five minutes longer it will take to get to Lunaveldi…”

Suddenly Aerin shot upwards, eyes wide. “I’m up! I’m up...” She yawned and stood up slowly. 

“I knew that’d wake you up,” Cass joked as she finished packing up camp. 

“You act like you know me  _ so  _ well.” Aerin laughed. “For all you know I could be a crazy, murderous psychopath.” She walked over to help Cass finish packing up for the road. 

“Yeah, well, I  _ used  _ to be a crazy murderous psychopath. Yet you still insisted on having me along.” Cass countered. “Plus,” She added, “I don’t take you for the psychopath type.”

“You don’t know anything, sis. You’re not the only one with a dark past.” Aerin said, only half joking. 

“What’s that supposed to me-“ 

Cass got cut off by the sound of a twig snapping behind them. Both girls whipped their heads around in an attempt to catch whatever, or whoever, made the noise. 

Out of the shadows emerged none other than Andrew himself.

“Well, look who we ran into.” He sang as the rest of his gang appeared behind him. 

“Andrew?” Both Aerin and Cassandra said at the same time. They both turned to each other and said, “Wait, you know him too?” 

“I’ve gotta say, fighting both of you at the same time is going to be a challenge, but it’s not anything me and my crew here can’t handle. Right guys?” He said as he tuned to the rest of his group, to which they all cheered. 

“What do you want, Andrew?” Cass spat. 

“Oh, we heard you guys came across a little secret we want in on. The riddle that leads to the key of Lunaveldi. Give it to us, and we won’t hurt you.” He said, before adding, “much.” 

“Why do  _ you  _ want it?” Aerin demanded, hand grasping her staff. 

“Could you imagine what kind of revolutionary things we could do in Saporia if we had the kind of knowledge and technology Lunaveldi has? You  _ used  _ to help us with that kind of thing, Aerin.” Andrew commented. 

“What?” Cass gasped. “Aerin, what is he talking about?” She asked. 

“Ohoho!! She didn’t tell you?” Andrew laughed. “Sweet little Aerin here used to work with us. She’s  _ Saporian _ . Helped us come up with technology to use to defeat Corona. But when trouble arose, she bailed. She left me and  _ everyone else  _ on her team to get caught by Corona’s guard.” He said, narrowing his eyes at Aerin accusingly.

“No.” Cass clenched her jaw. “No, I don’t believe it.”

She turned to Aerin. “It’s not true...right?” 

Aerin said nothing, head hung in shame. 

Cass looked bewildered. “Aerin...what...why didn’t you…?” She faltered, completely at a loss for words. 

“It wasn’t important. That life is behind me, I don’t consider myself one of  _ them  _ anymore.” Aerin said through gritted teeth, staring intensely at Andrew. 

“If you won’t give up the riddle, we’ll just have to take it from you.” Andrew said as he swung at Cass, who ducked just in time. 

Two of the others from the group ran toward Aerin, attacking her. She raised her staff defensively, blocking their attacks. 

Cass was busy fending off Andrew, swords clashing as they swung and dodged each other’s blows. 

“Ah, if it isn’t my old flame. We keep running into each other, don’t we?” He taunted. 

“Flame?” Cass laughed. “There was hardly a spark.” She hissed as she swung at him. 

Andrew recovered quickly, however, and aggressively attacked Cassandra. He tripped her, causing her to fall backwards harshly. Andrew raised his sword to deliver the final blow. 

Cass raised her arms defensively and shut her eyes tightly in preparation of the sword being brought down on her. But it never came. 

She opened her eyes to see Aerin standing there, blocking Andrew’s sword with her staff. 

“Huh. Looking out for your companions now, are we? That’s a change,  _ Aerin _ .” Andrew sneered. 

“Maybe I just found someone worth looking out for.” Aerin countered as she pushed him backwards. “I’ve got Andrew. You take care of those guys.” She said to Cass. 

Cass got up quickly and turned toward the other two walking toward her. They charged toward her, ready to attack. She ducked between them and one of them stumbled forward, quickly turning back to face her. The other stayed behind her. 

The attacker in front of her swung mercilessly at Cass, but she blocked it with ease. What she wasn’t expecting was the attacker behind her to swing at her so quickly.

The attacker's sword dug into her side, creating a decent sized gash. She yelped in pain, and brought her free hand to her side. 

Gritting her teeth, Cass swung angrily at the two aggressors, and knocked them to their feet. She quickly grabbed two small, colorful balls from her pocket and threw them at her attackers. 

The balls exploded, exposing a sticky substance that was keeping the Saporians on the ground. 

“Thanks Varian.” She muttered as she tried straightening up, wincing in pain as she gripped her side. 

Cass glanced to where Aerin was fighting Andrew, who had successfully knocked him unconscious with her staff. She looked over to Cass and smiled, giving her a thumbs up. 

Cass walked over to Aerin, trying her best to hide the blood dripping from her side. She could cover it well enough, for now. 

“Nice job with Andrew. You okay?” She asked. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Wasn’t too hard to fend off.” Aerin replied with a chuckle. “And you?” 

Cass pauses a moment. They have more pressing matters to handle than a small gash in her side. “Never better.” She said with a half smile. 

“Great. Let’s tie these guys up and head to that town-what was it called again?” Aerin wondered. 

“Reika.” Cass replied simply. 

“Right. Let’s find us a tree to tie them too and we’ll head out.” Aerin instructed. 

“Sounds good.” Cass said. Pushing aside the excruciating pain she was feeling, she went to help Aerin.

-

When they finally made it to Reika, Cass decided to bring up something that had been on her mind since the fight with Andrew. 

“So...Aerin.” She said slowly. “Why didn’t you tell me you were Saporian? You knew I came from Corona..you didn’t think it was important to tell me you came from our rival kingdom?”

Aerin was quiet for a moment. “I didn’t want to say anything that might change your mind about coming with me.” She said. And after a look from Cass, she continued. “It’s wrong, I know. I should’ve told you. But...you were the first person I met that I actually  _ wanted  _ to travel with me. Fighting with you on that ship...it was  _ exciting.  _ I thought that if you knew where I was from, you’d change your mind. And I’m sorry you had to find out from, of all people,  _ Andrew. _ ” She laughed and nudged Cass in the side. 

Cass drew in a sharp breath, fighting the urge to cry out in pain. Luckily, Aerin didn’t notice. 

“Let’s have a looksie at our riddle, huh?” Aerin said as she looked around the town. “Not a huge place, shouldn’t be too hard to find a key, right?”

Cass pulled out the piece of paper and read aloud:

_ “For fine feathered friends I’m quite a treat _

_ A spot to raise babies just can’t be beat.” _

“Hmm.” Aerin thought. “Fine feathered friends is easy enough, that’s birds, right? But a spot to raise babies…”

Cass pondered for a moment. “A nest? Birds raise their babies in a nest.” 

“Yeah, but is it a treat?” Aerin asked. 

“Hm. Let’s look around, maybe we’ll find something.” She offered. 

They walked around the town, looking for anything that might match the riddle. 

Cass looked around, and saw two birds flying around each other, singing. She watched them fly for a bit, before they flew into a birdhouse hanging from a tree. 

“A birdhouse!! That’s it!” Cass exclaimed. 

Aerin’s face lit up. “Yes! That’s brilliant! Now we just need to find a birdhouse!”

An elderly woman stopped walking and turned to face the two women. 

“Need to find a birdhouse, eh? You’ll find plenty of those at Reika Manor.” She croaked before turning back and continuing what she was doing. 

“Um...okay. Let’s go look there then.” Aerin said. 

-

To say Reika Manor was gigantic would be a  _ huge  _ understatement. And upon arriving, Aerin and Cass discovered that there were  _ tons  _ of birdhouses in the front yard. 

“Why the  _ hell _ are there so many birdhouses?” Cass whined. 

“Because Reika loved birds.” The old lady said from the shadows. 

Aerin and Cass jumped, startled by the voice. 

“What the- how did you?” Aerin started. 

“Reika was a great scientist long ago. He marveled at the birds, longing to see the world as they do. He wanted to discover as many as he could. So he attracted them with birdhouses.” The old lady explained. 

“Yeah, and a lot of them.” Aerin said as she and Cass turned to look back at the many houses. But when they turned back to face the old woman again, she was gone. 

“Well that’s good creepy at all.” Cass commented. 

“Let’s just find this key. It has to be in one of these birdhouses.” Aerin said as she walked over to the first house, inspecting it thoroughly. 

Cass pressed her hand to her aching side, which was still bleeding heavily. She didn’t know how much longer she could hide it from Aerin. She ignored the pain and started looking through the birdhouses. 

-

After a  _ long  _ while of searching the birdhouses, they finally found the key. 

“Here it is!  _ Finally _ . I was beginning to think it wasn’t here at all.” Aerin joked. 

“Mm.” Was all Cass said. 

Aerin looked up from the key and looked at Cass with concern. She wasn’t looking too good. 

“Woah, are you okay?” She asked, rushing to her side. 

“Uh...n-no, I don’t think so.” Cass said as her knees gave out, Aerin reaching out to steady her. 

When Aerin pulled her hand away, it was covered in blood. Her eyes widened in horror. 

“Cass!! When did this happen?! Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” Her voice broke on the word  _ hurt.  _

“I didn’t..didn’t think it was important .” Cass said, voice small. She sank to the ground slowly, clutching her side. 

“ _ Goddamn it _ , Cass! You’ve lost a lot of blood, we need to get you help,  _ now.  _ You obviously can’t walk, let me carry you.” She said as she scooped up the barely conscious Cass. 

“I’m going to get help, it’ll be okay. I promise.” Aerin said as she hurriedly went to find someone,  _ anyone  _ who could help. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Gasp!* A cliffhanger!


	5. The Trials of Lunaveldi

  
  
  


“You seek help.”

Aerin looked up from the exit, Cassandra still in her arms, barely conscious. Tears were brimming on the edges of her eyes, hot and painful.

“Can you?” she asked the old woman, who had spoken from the shadows. Aerin was surprised by how desperate her own voice sounded. “Help, I mean?  _ Please. _ ”

The woman frowned down upon Aerin. “Do not beg. That is below you, young woman.”

Aerin wiped at the tears. “She needs help.”

“You won’t find it here,” the woman replied unempathetically. “Continue through the

door. You will find everything you need.”

Aerin felt like screaming, but she didn’t have time to be angry at the woman. Without another word, she stepped through the door.

And found herself in a forest with empty arms.

“Cassandra?!” Aerin shouted, whirling around. The door was gone. “Cassandra!”

These woods were not like the woods she’d been in before. Birch trees with orange leaves loomed over Aerin, impossibly tall and bathed in fog. There were no noises. No birds, no wind, no insects, nothing but the crunching of leaves underfoot. 

Aerin huffed, realizing what she was in the middle of. Some sort of…

_ “Magic, _ ” she spat. She’d had  _ quite _ enough of magic these past few days.

“However did you figure that one out?” the old crone’s voice came again, dry with sarcasm. Aerin reeled. The old lady was standing where there had been no one just seconds before.

“Who are you?” she asked the woman. 

The old woman raised a brow. “Does it matter?” she answered. “You don’t need to worry about me, young lady, nor need you worry about your companion. She is being cared for, and tested in her own way. You just need to worry about  _ you. _ ”

“What does that mean?” Aerin stepped forward, reaching for her staff and unfolding it. “Who  _ are _ you?” she questioned again. 

The old woman shook her head,  _ tch _ ing. “So many questions. Fine. I am Hirdir. Have you been helped? Do you have your answers, have you found what you seek? No.” The woman gestured further into the woods. “Ask the right questions, young lady, and you will find the right answers. Ask the wrong ones, and you will get nowhere.”

Aerin looked toward the woods, and found the fog clearing a way to a path. 

When she looked back to where Hirdir had been, she found herself standing.

Aerin didn’t know what was happening, but she bet the best way to find out was to take that path. 

So she did, and she thought about what Hirdir had said. Cassandra was being cared for and tested. What did that mean? Was she okay? She hadn’t been in a good state when Aerin had seen her last. And Aerin didn’t trust Hirdir any further than she could throw her.

“Cassandra!” she called again, to no avail. “Cass…” 

Aerin trailed off, both in voice and from the path. There was a table a little ways into the birch forest. She walked toward it, and when she glanced back, the path was gone. 

No going back now, she realized.

The table was made of wood, and was cracked and worn in places, like it had been waiting for centuries. Upon it was an engraving in an unfamiliar language. As Aerin watched, the words shifted and settled in something more recognizable. 

Aerin put her staff away and leaned over the table, reading aloud: 

“The path you have chosen is far and unsteady.

Your back will grow weary and boots will grow heavy.

Your hands will be tested and heart will be tried,

If to reach the empire you have set your mind.

In testing your hands, and trying your heart,

A magic’s inspected what sets you apart.

It uses its findings to trial you now.

With the last spoken word, you take on a vow.

You’ll travel the journey to dissect who you are.

Only then will you find the Empire of the Stars.”

A gasping noise made Aerin look up, and she inhaled sharply. “Cassandra!” 

Cassandra was laying on the ground in front of her, her chest barely moving and skin unnaturally pale, even for Cass.

The scenery had changed, she noted as she scooped Cassandra up in her arms. Aerin was standing in the middle of a long dirt path lined with dusty, wooden buildings under a hot sky. 

Aerin rushed into the nearest building with people inside it, which happened to be a tavern full of rowdy men. Upon her entrance, she shouted “I need a doctor! Please! Is anybody here a doctor?”

The patrons went silent, all staring at her dumbly. Then, a burly man made his way to the front.

“I am a doctor,” he rumbled politely, looming over Aerin with Cassandra in her arms.

“Please,” Aerin pleaded. “She needs help.”

The heavy man seemed to inspect the two. Then, with a nod, he plucked Cassandra from Aerin’s arms. Aerin watched tensely. Cassandra’s eyes were closed and she didn’t know if she was still conscious. Her chest was moving but her breaths were slow.

The huge man nodded tersely. “She has lost a lot of blood,” he grumbled, clambering past Aerin to the door. “We must go to my home.”

Aerin didn’t object. The man stepped out of the tavern and went left down the road. Aerin hurriedly went the same way, heart clenching with fear for Cassandra, but she quickly found herself passing up the man. She stopped to wait for him to catch up.

Seeing her long suffering look, the man smiled sympathetically. “I apologize. But don’t fear, young one. There is no rush.”

“No  _ rush _ ?” Aerin had full intentions to go off on this guy, but shut her mouth just as quickly. It was not, she figured, a good idea to yell at the huge, burly man who was holding someone important to Aerin in his muscled arms. 

She resorted to clenching her fists tightly and falling in line with the man as he led her to his home.

It was a one-floor shack, but it was tall enough to fit him, and that was pretty tall. The man set Cassandra onto a table and reached into a cabinet. He pulled from it a bottle with a sparkling red liquid, which he poured a droplet from into Cassandra’s mouth.

It was with a cold wash of dread that Aerin realized Cassandra wasn’t moving.

“Do not worry,” the man’s rumbling voice said. “She has not passed yet. My elixir will keep her as she is until the cure can be obtained.”

“As she is?” Aerin repeated. “As she is is on the brink of death!”

The man nodded his agreement. “On the brink, but not quite over. She can be fully revived when you find the fruit.”

Aerin grasped at Cassandra’s cold hand, seeking comfort in some kind of sign of Cassandra’s well-being, but finding none. She looked to the man. “What fruit?”

“The fruit of the tree of life. It is a treacherous journey to take on, but it is the way any who cross this path seeking help get what they need.” 

Aerin shook her head. “There has to be another way. I’m not leaving her side. What is your name?”

The man stared, as if dumbfounded by Aerin’s question. 

“For goodness sake, young lady!” a familiar chided. Aerin gasped. But- there- no one had been there, and now there was-- how? Aerin stared at Hirdir, who stood beside the burly man suddenly, having appeared out of thin air. For whatever reason, he didn’t seem to notice her presence. “So stubborn! You’ll never pass the trials like that! Don’t ask stupid questions! The magic isn’t capable of preparing for  _ any _ outcome. You’re not meant to ask his name, you’re meant to ask about the trials!”

Aerin shook her head at the woman, dumbfounded. What on  _ earth _ was happening right now?

Hirdir  _ hmph! _ ed and stepped forward, passing through the man like he was an illusion.

“Didn’t you read the stone?” Hirdir crowed disapprovingly. “The magic found what drives you most, and now you’ve got to follow the instructions to save Cassandra. The trials, child, the trials. Stop asking questions and resisting and just  _ listen _ , would you? There is another group who seeks the secret to the Empire of the Stars, and I’m rather afraid I like them a lot less than I’m a fan of you! And they’re catching up, so I say  _ get on with it. _ ”

Aerin looked helplessly from Hirdir to the man to Cassandra, feeling like a prank was being played on her.

“Oh, forget about the girl,” Hirdir croaked. “She’s alright, remember? The magic can’t work with the near-dead. And to be frank, she’s getting on with the trials a lot quicker than you, young lady, so pull up your britches and step forward. I’ve got tea time at six and I will  _ not _ be late.” With another indignant scowl, Hirdir snapped her fingers and was gone.

Aerin took a moment to piece together the puzzle pieces floating around in her head. 

So this was a magical simulation designed to test Aerin. Why did it have to be magic?

The old man unfroze, making Aerin realize he had ever froze in the first place, like a toy being re-wound up.

“The fruit of the tree of life. It is a treacherous journey to take on, but it is the way any who cross this path seeking help get what they need.” 

That was the same thing he had said before, Aerin noted mentally. Okay, this simulation had some kinks to be worked out. 

Aerin thought. What was the best way to move the trials forward? The right question to make Hirdir not come back and yell at her?

“How to I… embark on this journey?” was what Aerin settled on. Thankfully, the man continued, like he’d been expecting the question.

“You must go toward the setting sun to find and retrieve the wooden giant’s heart,” his deep voice rumbled dramatically.

Aerin nodded, looking toward Cassandra (fake Cassandra?)’s pale face with worry. “Right, and how do I do that?”

There was a pause. Then,

“You must go toward the setting sun to find and retrieve the wooden giant’s heart.”

Aerin sighed. That was all she was getting, apparently.

“Right then,” she said to herself, “Time to steal a walking tree’s vital organ.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written by @Bedlamateur .


	6. How to Accidentally Start a Forest Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so so sorry guys I know this is like a month and a half late but I had the worst writers block EVER and I lost my ability to write anything at all but here it is!! The next chapter! Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> -Power_of_Alchemy

_ “Go toward the setting sun to find and retrieve the wooden giant's heart.” _ Aerin repeated the strange instructions as she walked east, the direction of the sunset. How long was she supposed to follow the sun? She had no clue. She guessed she’d know it when she saw it. 

She walked for hours before thinking that maybe she had gone the wrong direction, maybe she was doing something wrong. But then-

_ “Aerin!” _

Aerin whipped her head around, scanning the area for who had called her. But there was no one there. She was still alone.

That..that had been Cass’s voice. But Cass wasn’t here, she was going through her own “trials,” right?

“ _ Maybe I’m just hallucinating from this stupid simulation.” _ Aerin thought to herself as she pushed forward.

The events that transpired before this simulation crap were burned into Aerin’s mind, playing over and over again. Cass’s pale face, her weak voice, the  _ blood. _ She couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Aerin couldn’t afford to lose another person she cared about. She couldn’t go through that. Not again. So she was determined to get through the trials, not just for herself.

_ But for Cass.  _

Aerin had been so deep in thought she lost track of how long she had been walking. She found herself at the edge of a forest. It was dark, and thick. She couldn’t see five feet in. 

She stepped into the forest, determined to retrieve this stupid fruit thing and just get out of here. 

As soon as she stepped down onto the forest floor she felt...off. Something wasn’t right. She felt the urge to immediately turn back, to get the heck out of this place. But she pushed through. She had to do this. She  _ will _ do this.

“ _ Aerin! Help me!” _

Aerin spun around quickly, heart beating fast. 

_ “No. It’s not real.” _ She told herself.

Suddenly she saw images of Saporia. She had invented something that had horribly malfunctioned, and it ended up mortally wounding another Saporian. She had killed someone.

“ _ Don’t worry about him! Everything is going to be fine, Aerin, but you have to help us get out! The King is going to catch us!” _ Andrew had called out to her. But she was frozen. Paralyzed. 

_ Her invention ended someone's life. _

Aerin couldn’t move to help Andrew and the others. Instead, she ran. She ran away from her mistakes, from her home...from herself. 

And Andrew got caught. The only person who considered her family…

_ It’s all my fault it’s all my fault it’s all my fault. _

_ No no no no no! _

Aerin snapped back to reality. She was crouched on the ground, hands covering her face in defense, hot tears running down her face as she took small panicked breaths. 

No. Andrew is a horrible, evil person. He is not my family anymore. I’ve got a new family now…

And her family was counting on her. Aerin stood up and continued walking.

She was going to get that fruit.

-

Aerin was tired of walking. 

It had been hours of endless walking. And she seemed to be getting nowhere.

She decided to take a break and she sat on the ground, leaning against a tree. She wondered how Cass was doing with her trials.

And out of nowhere, the tree Aerin was resting on had somehow  _ moved. _

Jumping up, Aerin quickly took out her staff. 

_ The tree was moving. _

Aerin stared in wonder and terror as she discovered...that wasn’t a tree at all. It was a giant. 

The giant gazed down toward Aerin and stared at her for a moment before swinging it’s massive fist at her. 

She was able to roll out of the way in time, but she quickly found that the tree giant had friends, and they were approaching her as well. 

“Aerin! What have you  _ done? _ ”

Aerin flinched as she heard the words. She had tried forgetting those memories, tried putting it all behind her but-

“You killed my  _ husband! _ You left my children without a father! All because of your stupid invention to help take Corona! How do you  _ live  _ with yourself?”

Aerin snapped back to reality as the tree giant tried to step on her, but she moved out of the way just in time. The voices she was hearing...were memories of her past. Memories that haunted her,  _ plagued  _ her and they seemed to be resurfacing because of this place. 

Then Aerin saw something that she wished she’d never see.

She saw Cass, lying on the ground, covered in blood and more pale than the moon. She was crying out to her, but it wasn’t cries for help.

“You did this to me Aerin! You...you’ve killed me. Because your ambitions have clouded your sight, you can’t help but hurt everyone around you.” She yelled.

“No! It-It’s not real! You’re not real!” Aerin cried. She dodged another attack from the giant and looked back to where Cass had been. She was gone.

“This stupid place. Stay out of my head!” She called out to no one in particular. She had to get through this trial and make it back to the  _ real _ Cass.

She looked at the giant, and started devising a plan. If this guy was a tree giant, they were made of wood. Which in turn means…

Aerin quickly looked around and found herself a decent sized club, then reached into her satchel and pulled out a small rock and stick. She struck the rock with the stick and it sparked, catching the club on fire. 

She turned to the giant, who was making his way toward her, and she gripped the club firmly. She ran up to the giant and dove underneath him, dragging the burning club along their legs. He promptly caught on fire.

The giant all made groaning noises in which Aerin figured was their way of screaming in pain, and she put out the club. The giant was slowly burning away. But that wasn’t all that was burning. The fire had spread to the trees around them, and it was spreading  _ fast. _

Aerin had caused a forest fire.

Oops. 

She needed to get the heart, that was the whole reason she came here. She walked through the smoke filled forest toward what was left of the giant and started searching. 

She sifted through the ashes of the ex-giant until she stumbled across a golden jewel, untouched from the flames. 

Aerin took the jewel, fully expecting it to be burning hot, when in fact it was quite cool to the touch. She carefully placed the jewel in her satchel and looked for a way out of the quickly burning forest. Hirdir probably wouldn’t be happy that Aerin had burned down part of her simulation. Oh well. At least she finished the quest. 

Struggling to see past the thick smoke, Aerin tried to exit the forest before the whole thing burned away. She still heard voices calling to her, visions trying to creep into her head, but she pushed them aside as much as she could. She needed to get out of here.

Coughing, Aerin decided to just run. Run in any direction, just getting away from the biggest of the flames. She ran so fast she almost tripped herself, but eventually she stumbled out of the forest.

Aerin brought her hand up to her throat and coughed. She’d inhaled a lot of smoke. Hopefully it wasn’t too bad.

She turned to look at the forest expecting to see smoke billowing out, but she saw nothing. There wasn’t even a forest. She had been transported somewhere completely different. 

Simulations were the worst.

“Well,” Aerin said to herself. “I guess..on to the next trial. On to Cass.”


	7. Cassandra's Side

Cassandra woke up slowly to warm silence. The sun shone gracefully from above through empty patches in the forest’s canopy, carried by fine, cool mist that hung in the air. She spared a glance around her surroundings and, finding nothing disconcerting, let her head fall and her eyes slide shut again. She felt… comfortable. 

Cassandra shot up from the ground from where she lay, looking around the forest frantically. She felt…  _ uncomfortably _ comfortable.  _ Too _ safe,  _ too _ relaxed. 

She knew better than to let herself be that content. 

Cassandra’s hand flew to her side as she recalled what had happened. She was injured… but she wasn’t in any pain now and, drawing her hand away from her side, there was no blood.

“Aerin?” Cassandra called.

Cautiously, suspiciously regarding the foggy birch forest, she got to her feet. 

It was quiet. Too quiet, and far, far too beautiful. 

“Magic,” Cassandra realized with a groan. “This has to be magic.”

“Well, of course!” an old voice crowed condescendingly..

Cassandra turned and found herself facing the old woman from before. She unsheathed her sword on reflex.

The old woman only looked down at Cassandra with bitter indignance. “I take the time to heal you and you point a weapon at me? Young woman, I could have you incapacitated in a second. Have respect.”

“Where did you take me?” Cassandra demanded, tilting her sword pointedly.

The old woman  _ tsk _ ed and waved a hand. Consequently, Cassandra’s sword lowered of its own accord. She struggled to lift it again, but the sword remained stubbornly in place.

“Where is irrelevant,” the old woman answered briskly. Cassandra looked up from her sword at the woman. “ _ Why _ is imperative. Now, I’m only here because there’s a group of rather extravagant and rowdy scoundrels on their way and I’ve got to deal with you so I’ve more time to deal with them. They have no dignity whatsoever, but my duty is to admit them to the trials nevertheless. Perhaps you know them?”

Rowdy and extravagant scoundrels. Yeah, sounded familiar. “Andrew and the other Saporians,” Cassandra guessed dryly.

“Precisely--” The old woman broke off with a huff, looking behind her to something Cassandra couldn’t see. “Hmph! It seems I will have to speed things along if I’m to make it to tea time. On you go, young woman.” The woman gestured away deeper into the foggy woods. Cassandra followed the gesture to a path that wasn’t there before. When she looked back, the old woman was gone. Cassandra sighed and turned back toward the path.

“Why did it have to be magic?” she asked exasperatedly. The forest offered no answer, but the path waited expectantly.

Left with no other option, Cassandra followed it further into the unknown.

As she walked, eyeing the surrounding fog-hugged trees, Cassandra tried to remember what had led up to this point. She recalled, vaguely, finding the key, but that was as far as her memory went. 

“Cass!”

Cassandra looked up at the faraway sound of her name, and found herself looking at a worn wooden ruin. She would have called it a table if not for the engraving etched into it. There was no one around. The phantom voice didn’t say her name again.

Cassandra approached and read the engravings aloud:

“The path you have chosen is far and unsteady.

Your back will grow weary and boots will grow heavy.

Your hands will be tested and heart will be tried,

If to reach the Empire you have set your mind.”

_ Lunaveldi, _ Cassandra thought, tracing the carved words with her gloved hand. That was the empire it was referring to, right? Things were starting to make sense. This magical realm was a creation to test those who wanted to go to Lunaveldi. It also explained why the old woman was concerned about Andrew and the other Saporians.

Cassandra continued reading,

“In testing your hands, in trying your heart, 

A magic’s inspected what sets you apart. 

It uses its findings to trial you now. 

With the last spoken word, you take on a vow. 

You’ll travel the journey to dissect who you are. 

Only then will you find the Empire of the Stars.”

As she spoke the last word, all at once, her surroundings changed from a misty forest to a dry dirt road lined with dusty buildings. Cassandra looked up with a start, and found herself looking at a gratefully familiar face. “Aerin!” 

Aerin gave a friendly, bright-eyed smile and opened her mouth to speak, but between one moment and the next, the old woman from before was standing in her place. 

“You mustn’t waste time,” the woman said, looking vaguely battered. 

“What happened?” Cassandra asked. 

“No time. Those scoundrels are on their way,” the old woman answered. “But do not worry, I shall take care of them. The magicks will not find them worthy, I assure you. But hurry, young woman. And play along with the simulation, will you?”

“Wha--” Cassandra started to speak, but with a blink the old woman was gone again and Aerin reappeared. Cassandra breathed out a sigh of relief. “Aerin, do you know what’s happening with the Saporians?”

Aerin offered a bright smile and took Cassandra’s hand. “Let’s go!” she exclaimed, pulling Cassandra along down the road.

“Where are we going?” Cassandra asked, running with her companion.

Aerin looked back at her. “On an  _ adventure _ .”

“But where?”

“On an  _ adventure. _ ”

Cassandra stopped and pulled her hand away from Aerin’s grasp. “Aerin?”

Aerin reached for Cassandra again, unbothered by Cassandra’s hesitance. “Let’s go!”

Her bright-eyed smile didn’t seem affected by the confused look Cassandra was giving her. And she was saying the same thing as before, word for word. Cassandra took a step back, away from Aerin. “You’re not real.”

Aerin offered no reply but a frozen smile.

“You’re a part of the… the magic. The simulation,” Cassandra realized, though now that she knew  _ this _ Aerin wasn’t  _ her _ Aerin, she wasn’t sure who exactly she was talking to. 

She kept walking in the direction Aerin-not-Aerin had been leading, assuming that this is where the simulation wanted her to go. 

Aerin-not-Aerin was content to walk at the brisk pace Cassandra set, quick enough but not too fast to give Cassandra time to think and assess the situation.

According to the woman and the engraving in the woods, Cassandra was being trialed as part of the journey to Lunaveldi. The woman must have been from Lunaveldi, Cassandra gathered. So this Aerin wasn’t a threat, even if she wasn’t real.

_ Play along with the simulation, _ the woman had told her. Cassandra looked up at Aerin, wondering how best to do that.

She settled for asking, “What...  _ is _ this adventure?”

Aerin looked back at Cassandra with a gleam of mirth in her eyes, so authentic it almost made Cassandra think she was real. “An adventure just for the two of us. In two days, there will be an eclipse. It’s prophesied that a monster will awaken on the top of the tallest mountain and lay waste to everything on the continent. We have to ensure that he can never awaken, by travelling to the top of the mountain and defeating monsters along the way!”

Cassandra let that sink in as the two of them continued on their approach west toward the setting sun.

So this is what the magic had decided for her? An adventure with trials along the way? Well, she couldn’t say she wasn’t intrigued. 

She saw the beginnings of a forest in the distance, the treeline broken only by the peak of a mountain looming from beyond the horizon.

The magical simulation around her was designed to test Cassandra, to see if she is worthy of… something. She wasn’t entirely sure what yet, but it was something to do with Lunaveldi. 

Cassandra watched Aerin walk and her thoughts were drawn to wonder what was happening with the  _ real _ Aerin. She couldn’t help but worry.

Cassandra didn’t intend to fail the trials placed before her, and she resolved to find Aerin before this was over. She straightened, kept her chin up, and forged on.


	8. Lions and Tigers and Scares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyyy! 
> 
> Okay I knowww it’s been a long time since I last uploaded, I had a rough couple months and couldn’t find it in me to write. Writers block is the worst. But now I’m back with another chapter, enjoy!!

Traveling with a fake Aerin was...unsettling, to say the least. Cass found herself staring at the false image quite often. She looked _exactly_ like the real Aerin, but something was off, and she couldn’t place a finger on it. 

They started on a small path up the mountain. Cass couldn’t say she wasn’t a little bit excited about this trial. She couldn’t wait to be able to swing her sword again. She just wished the real Aerin was here with her. 

“We must make it to the top before the eclipse, or the monster will spawn and we won’t be there to kill it!” Fake-Aerin said with an unnaturally wide smile on her face. 

She didn’t sound right. Like she was reading off a script. Like a robot wearing Aerin’s skin.

_God_ Cass missed the real Aerin. Her _real_ smile. Forget cool monster fighting. Cass wanted out of this stupid simulation. 

“Cass!”

Cass quickly turned to the fake Aerin.

“What? What’s wrong? Did you see something?” Cass spoke quickly.

“Hm? I didn’t say anything. Did you see something?”

Cass blinked at Aerin. “Um...no. Let’s just move on.”

“Okay!” Aerin chirped as she turned to face the path once more. 

Cass wondered how the real Aerin was doing. Were her trials as strange as Cassandra’s? Was she in danger? 

Cass’s thoughts were abruptly cut off when a disgusting roar echoed from the trees. She quickly took out her sword and scanned the area. 

Then, a hideous monster emerged from the forest.

It’s head was shaped like a cats, with ears to match. It’s enormous body resembled a lion, and it’s long tail appeared to match that of a fox. In summary, it was not pretty.

“Oh no. It’s the Gulon!” Aerin screamed as she hid behind Cass.

“The _what?_ How do you know that?” Cass asked, but she never received an answer as the Gulon lunged at them. 

Cass dodged the attack quickly as Aerin screamed. Great. Not only did the fake Aerin act creepy, she was also scared of monsters. That’s helpful. And also _very_ inaccurate. Who designed this terrible off brand Aerin? 

The Gulon was quick to turn around and go in for another attack. Cass swung her sword at the beast's front leg and heard a gruesome slice as the blade came in contact with the animal. 

The Gulon screamed as it glanced down at it’s injured leg. But it didn’t linger for long, as it once again went in for another attack.

“I think you just made it angry!” Fake Aerin called from the side.

“Ya _think?_ ” Cass called as she stepped out of the line of attack. 

Cass scanned the area for something she could use to her advantage. Then she got an idea.

The animal looked ballistic. Yep. It was angry all right. It looked her dead in the eye before going in for the kill. 

“That’s right. Come get me.” Cass muttered as she turned to climb the nearest tree. She settled on a thick branch and looked down at the monster. It had cat-like claws, it’d try to climb up after her. She needed to be quick. 

“You can’t just hide in a tree, Cass! We need to get to the top!” Aerin yelled.

Cass rolled her eyes. This fake Aerin was getting really annoying. 

“I know, Aerin! Just..let me work!”

Cass looked down at the branch she was sitting on and started sawing away at the base with her sword. It was a big branch, she needed to be fast.

The Gulon stared up at Cass as if it was trying to figure out what she was doing. Only for a moment, however, before it slowly started climbing up after her. 

She was almost finished, only a few more slices to go and-

With a loud crack the branch broke away from the tree, falling to the ground. 

Cass reached up and grabbed a smaller branch moments before she tumbled down. 

There was a sickening crunch, and the small whimper as the branch landed on the Gulon. 

Cass jumped down and landed next to the dead monster, kicking it to make sure it was dead. 

“Alright. First monster dead, let's get moving.” Cass said as she reapproached Aerin. 

“Good. We have to make it to the top before the eclipse.” 

“Oh, do we? I had _no_ idea.” Cass jabbed. She glanced at the sun and realized it was getting late. 

“You wanna set up camp? It’ll be an easier trip when we’re rested and can see the path better.” Cass suggested.

Aerin seemed hesitant, but eventually agreed, but only after Cass assured her that they’d get up early and move quickly. She _really_ wanted to get to the top of this mountain. 

They found a small patch of grass to rest for the night, not too far from the path. Cass laid on her back and stared up at the sky.

“Cass!”

Cass sat up quickly, eyes wide.

“Aerin?”

Aerin sat up and looked over at Cass. 

“Yes?”

“Did you...say my name?”

“No.”

Hm. That definitely _was_ Aerins voice, Cass didn’t question it. So if it wasn’t the fake Aerin calling her, was it the real one?

Cassandra laid back down, lost in thought. Was Aerin trying to reach her? Did she need help? 

Cass eventually decided that worrying about it would do no good, she needed to finish the trial if she wanted to see Aerin again. So she closed her eyes, and fell asleep. 

\- 

  
Cass was awoken by screaming, which she found odd. 

Her eyes flew open and she quickly assessed the situation. The first thing she noticed, was yet another monster. 

This one looked _almost_ human. Everything was normal...except for its legs. Which looked like they belonged to a dog, or a wolf. And it was attacking the fake Aerin. 

Without hesitation, Cass reached for her sword and swung at the beast. Unfortunately it noticed Cass approaching before she could land a decent hit. With one swift motion, the monster punched Cass and kicked her away, knocking her into a nearby tree. 

The monster turned back to Aerin who was still lying on the ground. 

“No!! Aerin!!” Cass screamed as she tried to get up, but stumbled back to the ground. 

Cass couldn’t let the monster get to Aerin. Real or not, she couldn’t just lay here and watch her be killed. She didn’t want that image to be a part of her memories. 

Cass forced herself up and held her sword tightly. She took a deep breath in, and started running to the beast. 

This time, Cass was silent, and the monster didn’t hear her coming. She dug her sword into the back of the monster, and threw it off of Aerin. 

Cass held out a hand to help Aerin up. 

“Th-thanks Cass.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Cass responded. She looked down at her ankle, which was probably sprained. Great. That wouldn’t speed up this quest by any means. 

The sun was starting to come up and Cass wanted this trial to be over. So they decided to pack up camp and start their trip again. The sooner they finished, the sooner she could get to the real Aerin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cass be hearing things..

**Author's Note:**

> Let us know what you think! Comments are very much appreciated!


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